Our top five mobile debacles, starting with the latest suggestions that
Windows Phone 7 is hogging users' data allowances

News mainly from America is currently suggesting that WP7 is sending big chunks of data for no apparent reason, and consequently taking users to or beyond their data limits. The risks could be sigfinificant for consumers' wallets, and dire for Microsoft’s reputation. The company says it’s investigating.

Google Android’s text messaging

A number of stories have circulated recently about Google’s Android text messaging system having a bug that meant users were sending messages to people that they weren’t intended for. Although the search giant has recently upgraded related bugs to “critical”, it’s not certain yet quite what the problem is. The Android OS is still, however, the fastest growing in the world. But one user said that he'd sue after a message about a new job apparently went to his current employer.

Apple iPhone 4 reception problems

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Apple’s iPhone 4 was a product that was greeted rapturously by critics and consumers alike – but news of its reception problems and Apple’s subsequently offering of a free case marred the launch. Subsequent issues with the iOS alarm clock have been embarrassing too – but the iPhone remains the best marriage on the market between form and function.

Sonim ‘unbreakable’ mobile phone

At the Consumer Electronics Show in 2010 Sonim unleashed a mobile phone it had claimed was ‘unbreakable’ – useful to a depth of 20’ it could stand up to anything, the company said. Unfortunately, a couple of bashes on the corner of a Sonim-supplied fish tank and the screen was a goner.

The next frontier? Mobile viruses

Mobile security firm Adaptive Mobile says that 2010 saw a one-third rise in malware on phones. Says the company’s Chief Operating Officer Gareth Maclachlan: “We predict that the number of threats targeted at unsuspecting mobile users will continue to increase at an exponential rate throughout the course of 2011. Even more significantly, the nature of the threats we are seeing will increase in sophistication.” Manufacturers say they’ve got it covered, but the future could be taxing.